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Two Wrongs Make It Right/Six
six “So what you trying to do to me It's like we can't stop we're enemies --Animals, Maroon 5 --lavender Grayshadow has been forgotten momentarily as Jet and I make our way out of camp. We're headed for the prison stronghold, which is located away from the main camp for safety reasons. The only problem is that neither Jet or I actually know where the prison is; neither or us has ever had a position there before. I suggested that we should find a rogue who might have seen our friends' capture and ask them to lead us in the direction in which the guards had taken them, but Jet refused, saying it's faster if we just found it ourselves. Outside there is a plethora of warriors and soldiers. I almost want to ask one of them for directions to the prison compound, but I know that'll just look suspicious. Jet plods alongside me in brooding silence, similar to how he was when I first met him. "Are you sure we shouldn't find a rogue and see if they know where it is?" I finally ask Jet again, "We've been wandering around for ten minutes now and we haven't found anything." "Don't be so impatient," Jet snaps, even though he's the one who has been muttering about how slow we've been walking for the past ten minutes. "I'm not being impatient," I say, trying to be reasonable, "but we're never going to find it at this rate." "And what makes you think a rogue will know where it is?" Jet shoots me a glare. "If we don't know, how would they know? We're the one with the 'insider information' as you say." I get the feeling he's just refusing because he wants to disagree and point out everything I say is wrong. I curse myself mentally for not giving Jet a chance to suggest the plan because we would actually get something done for once. "Well it's worth a try," I insist, "it's not going to do us any harm to ask." "It'll be too slow," Jet says stubbornly, completely ignoring the fact that we're wasting more time by arguing. I sigh as he stalks on. I could leave him right now and try to find the place myself, but I know he'll just start attacking IceClan if he really does stumble upon the prison compound. Two is better than one. It takes a long time but after another twenty minutes of fruitless searching, Jet finally turns to me. "You're right," he grunts, "I'm an idiot." "That you are," I snort, letting some past affection creep into my tone, "took you long enough to figure that one out." Jet looks slightly angry again but I ignore him. "I'm sorry," he says when I turn away from him, "for snapping at you earlier. I wasn't actually your fault...I just needed someone to blame. Those are my siblings--my only family." Neither of us mention his father. "It's okay," I tell him without turning, "I understand." I'm not sure if he actually believes me but Jet drops the subject. We try to locate any of the rogues we had rallied but they're very scattered. The pressing amount of soldiers must be stopping them from staying close by. We're barely moving by with so many soldiers. After being stopped multiple times and asked what we were doing out, Jet gives a reluctant sigh. "We'll have to go very far to try to find anyone who will be willing to help us. The only thing that is fending these soldiers off are the conviction that we're soldiers too." "We'll do whatever it takes," I touch the tip of my tail to his shoulder and keep walking. "Even if that means going farther out than we want to." Jet is getting twitchy again, and I know we have to find some information fast before he explodes. It suddenly surprises me how well I know Jet despite knowing him for only a few days. Before we get anywhere, however, Grayshadow suddenly appears out of nowhere. I give a little jump, startled. Grayshadow looks grim, his eyes shadowed with something I can't tell. "Come with me," he orders, "abandon your little quest. You two have made things hard for me, scurrying around without telling me where you're going." "Where we go is none of your business," I inform him, "and if we have to tell you where we're going at all times, you have to tell us where you're going. We've been trying to find you." Grayshadow frowns at me. "The best way to meet me is to stay where I tell you I'll meet you." "You were late," Jet says flatly, "and our friends were taken by your soldiers." "Not my soldiers," Grayshadow reminds the black tom, "I'm not leader yet. But that's why I am here for, in case you haven't figured it out." I stay silent, not reacting to his jab just so I can hear what he has to say. Jet, thankfully, does the same. "The leader is dead," Grayshadow doesn't need any introduction. "This is the best time for us to storm IceClan and take over." "Dead?" Jet echoes, "How--?" "It doesn't matter," Grayshadow snaps, "just come along. And gather any rogues you can right now. Meet me in front of IceClan's stronghold in five minutes." "Five minutes?" Jet repeats in disbelief. "It took us thirty to walk from there to here." But Grayshadow is already gone. "We better hurry then," I grunt, "forget rallying rogues. If they see us streaking for the camp, they'll realize something big is going to happen." Jet doesn't have time to argue. We race for the stronghold entrance, and we arrive there panting. Grayshadow is somehow already there, and he stares us down with obvious disapprovement. "Where is your rogue army?" He asks coldly. "Here," a voice calls out, "we're here." Looks like I was right. Behind us is the sea of cats we had gathered earlier. "Good, we must hurry." Grayshadow enters camp without another word. "Warning would be helpful," Jet mutters as we scurry after him. "We look like rats," I observe, "a swarm of them." "That's great," Jet says dryly, "I feel so much more confident as a rat." "Hey," I nudge him as we run side by side, "We'll figure all this out. Grayshadow will defeat the corrupt IceClan system and he'll free our friends and our siblings. We're almost done with our goal." Jet nods along, but his eyes mirror my own dread that something will go horribly wrong. The camp is packed with frantic cats. They're everywhere. I've never had a problem with crowds in the camp before--usually I just avoid them and walk around, but today I can't get anywhere without tripping over someone who is sobbing or screaming or just freaking out about the flood of rogues coming in. "Grayshadow's plans are terrible," I grit my teeth, pushing past a couple of wailing she-cats. "This is the most ineffective way to take over." "We're striking fear in them," Jet points out, "that's a plus." "Yeah cause they've never seen rogues before," I roll my eyes, "it's not like we're monsters. We're cats for star's sake, just like them." Jet lets loose a laugh, which makes one of the Clan cats scream in fear. This makes me giggle slightly, and then it strikes both of us funny and we both burst out laughing. I actually have to stop in the middle of my stride to catch my breath. "Some are distressed because of the leader's death though," Jet manages to say through breathless puffs. "But I guess a majority of them are pretty freaked out by our arrival." "Beasts!" Someone shouts, and a berry explodes in my face, drenching me with purple juice. I blink in surprise and turn to the cat who had thrown it at me. She's crying, her face streaked with tears. "You uncivilized vermin killed our leader! Who do you think you are, barging into our home with your barbaric ways? We haven't touched your home, have we?" "We don't have a home," Jet snarls. I think to all the times I had seen raids on innocent families. It hadn't only been the intruders. "You're wrong," I say, "IceClan has done plently wrong." The she-cat is trembling with what seems like rage. "You don't understand," she sobs, "Shadowstar did everything for us. He made sure we had enough prey--" Jet laughs in her face, cutting her tirade off. "He made sure you had enough prey? Do you want to know who hunted for you? Do you want to know who spend years of their lives grovelling for prey because they were deemed unworthy for a Clan name?" The she-cat just stares back at him in disbelief. "I didn't think so," Jet snorts, stalking away after our army of rogues, "you'd never understand, with the upbringing you had. Things are going to get better, not worse after this and you're too blind to see it." I hurry after Jet, wiping the juice off my fur even though it leaves a few small stains that I can clean out later. "It's crazy how one generation can wipe their minds with this propaganda." "Yeah...hey Jet? What if things don't get better for us from here? What if he turns out to be a fluke and he's just going to help the Clan cats instead?" "He wouldn't be destroying this place now would he?" Jet points out. I give a shrug. We experience a few more remarks about being rogues but then we're suddenly in the center of the camp, where the leader's den is stationed. All the guards have fallen, all dead. I shudder, wondering how many Clan cats we had been willing to slaughter for this mission. It makes me wonder if this was all the right choice. Jet stares darkly at the Clan cats. "They deserved it," he mutters, kicking at one of them. I shake my head wordlessly and we step into the leader's den. I've never been back here before, but it's not much of a sight right now. Grayshadow stands at the back, disposing of probably the old leader's body. He glances up as we enter. "Ah," he shoots us a satisfied smile, "my loyalest comrades." The term "loyalest" rubs me the wrong way. Jet and I hadn't exactly been his top supporters, but I decide now's not the time to argue. "IceClan is ours," he purrs, "and I have to thank you for gathering an army for me." I dip my head, "As long as you do your part, this will all be successful." "Of course," Grayshadow's eyes glint. "All the rogues will have proper treatment. Any will be welcome to join the Clan if they wish." "And if they don't?" Jet challenges, "You have to find a way to feed everyone and make sure the rogues aren't neglected because they aren't Clan cats." "Have faith in my leadership," Grayshadow replies, "I will make it happen." "And our friends?" Grayshadow seems to almost smirk. "I will release them and they will be cared for as long as the two of you stay by my side as my personal guards." "As long as?" I echo, "That's black mail." "Let the others help," Jet interrupts, shooting me a glance. "We're all in this together." "They need to watch your siblings," Grayshadow dismisses, "First, you two have to agree to my terms. There is a lot to be done here, and I need your help. Don't make me beg for it." His eyes tell me differently. But still, we have no choice. I exchange helpless glances with Jet. A silent agreement passes between us. "We'll do it." --jet Lavender finally speaks up for the first time since we've agreed to Grayshadow's terms. He's already in his new den, and we've been left to our own devices in our own secluded little den. "I don't trust him." I glance over at her. "That's new. I always hope you were one of those cats who loved to trust everyone." She glares at me and I feel a little sorry for saying that. "Hey, you agreed to let him help us at first too. I'm not the only one who made the decision that day." I wave my tail in surrender. "Yeah, I know. But what do you not trust about him right now?" Other than the fact that he's obviously hiding a lot and we're being used as pawns again. "Seriously?" Lavender arches an eyebrow and I regret trying to act smart and asking her that question, "Do you really not see it?" "I see it," I grunt, "no need to call me stupid." The calico she-cat heaves a sigh. "I only agreed to his recent terms because there's no way we can get anything done by disagreeing with him. He'll just kill Ivy, Carson, and Peony, as well as your siblings. That's not something we can risk." "Nor will I let him do that," I glower at the entrance of our den, as if daring Grayshadow to just appear. "Now, now," Lavender teases, "I didn't know you had feelings for the rest of them." I shoot her a look that makes her roll her eyes. "We need a plan," I say gruffly, "We need to figure out what Grayshadow might have in store for us, and whether or not we can fix this situation." "Two wrongs make it right," Lavender says absentmindedly. "Hm?" "Nothing," she ducks her head, "just an old saying I remember from my parents." Before I can say anything else, Grayshadow sweeps in regally. He eyes us coolly, as if he was the king of the world. "I have one last task for the two of you." "Lucky us," I mutter. Lavender steps on my paw and gestures for Grayshadow to continue. "If you help me defeat the intruders, I will grant you rights to anywhere you want in IceClan and you will be my personal bodyguards. You will be treated the way you want to be treated." There is a warning in his tone. "This is where you say 'but...' right?" Lavender sounds resigned. "Indeed," Grayshadow agrees, "if you fail to do this for me, I will cast you and your friends out of IceClan and you will never be welcome again. That goes for all rogues, mind you." "Now that--" I stand, intending to get in Grayshadow's face and give him a piece of my mind. Lavender pushes me back, surprising me with her strength. "We'll do it," she says quietly. "Good." Grayshadow flicks his tail and Ivy, Carson, and Peony march in, looking sullen. "The three of them will help you. I will personally watch over the kits so don't worry about them." He sweeps back out without another word. I sulk in the back. "How am I supposed to work when all I can think about is him keeping my siblings cornered in a tiny den? He won't care for them at all... They've been neglected enough." For a moment we all sit there awkwardly. "What a reunion," Ivy finally says breezily, "Though I do wish it was more than twenty-four hours before I got to see you again." She directs her statement at me. "Thanks, the feeling is mutual." "This feels all wrong," Carson blurts out, "I get the feeling a successful revolution shouldn't feel like this." "Did we even revolt?" Lavender squints at Carson, "It really felt like we found a cat willing to take over and then he just took over. It was as if the leadership was just waiting to be destroyed." "Exactly," Carson shakes his head, "I don't think we made the right choice about Grayshadow." Ivy rounds on him. "This is why you should have listened to me." I want to dismiss Carson's concern, but I've already been having second doubts about Grayshadow and I'm too worried about my siblings to see him in a good light. Lavender has a tiny frown on her face. Peony sighs. "We can't look back and regret our choices. It's only forward from here on out. Let's decide what we're going to do next." Carson bobs his head along, ignoring Ivy's glare. "Okay, we'll just do as he says. The intruders aren't our allies either, so we might as well follow along with Grayshadow's scheme until we can figure out what he's after. If he's really trying to betray us." Ivy rolls her eyes, "It's so obvious that he's going to betray us after we outlive our usefulness. I know you all know that but you're just denying it because it makes you look like fools for trusting that rat." "Hush," Peony quiets the light brown tabby she-cat, "So we're just going to annihilate them?" "Why not?" I try to act casual about the entire thing. "Because that's wrong," Peony says adamantly. "I may not agree with the intruders' ideals but we shouldn't ruthlessly slaughter them instead." "It's us versus them," I point out, "our lives or theirs." Peony isn't convinced. "There has to be another way." Carson lays his tail on Peony's back and gives her a reassuring look. "We won't kill them, okay? Just scare them enough that they'll learn not to mess with IceClan anymore. I'm sure that's all Grayshadow wants us to do. But if he orders us to kill them...what other choice do we have?" Silence is his only response. The gray tom clears his throat awkwardly. "I have a plan," he says, "Jet and Ivy will be the lead force with the rogues and warriors Grayshadow allows us to bring while Lavender, Peony, and I will sneak around with the other half of the forces to ambush them. The intruders will think Jet and Ivy's forces are the only attackers, and we'll be able to surprise them with reinforcements." "Simple but does the deed," Lavender nods her head, "I like it." "I don't," Ivy scowls, determined to be difficult with everything, "I need a change of partners. Can I switch with Jet with Peony?" "No way," Carson says hotly, his eyes flashing with anger. "The plan is final." "I don't want to work with him," Ivy shoots me a disgusted look. I feel mildly offended that she has such strong hatred for me. "Or let me switch with Lavender. The two of them are inseparable I swear." Lavender turns a shade of red I've never seen her before and I look away. "Just stick with the plan," I grunt, "I'm not any happier than you are but we need to get something done. Who cares who the partners are? In the end we're in the same fight." "More fun when I'm not with you," Ivy snorts. "This isn't about fun," I say tersely, "we're about to go defeat the intruders. This is serious." Ivy narrows her eyes, "Don't you think I don't know that?" "Then show that you know it," I snap. Carson steps in before we can keep fighting. "So are we all on board with this?" He looks around at all of us and we all nod. Category:Two Wrongs Make It Right